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Human Effects on Aquatic Environments

The tendency of human activities to affect aquatic environments stems from the fact that human beings cannot live without water. Apart from its impact on human existence, water is also essential for use in many developmental projects and transportation. Even some activities carried out on land may affect the aquatic environment through side effects like acid rain.

  1. Invasive Species

    • Vessels can spread invasive species as they navigate from one port to another in different parts of the world, according to the U.S. Environmental and Protection Agency (EPA). Invasive species are organisms that are foreign to an environment. They and pose serious environmental and economic threats in aquatic ecosystems by changing the dynamics. According to the EPA, invasive species are the leading cause of species extinction and sharp drops in biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems around the world. Some of them multiply rapidly in a new ecosystem, overwhelming the native population and leading to a decline in numbers. Invasive species may be spread through vessel-hull fouling, aquaculture escapes and other types of accidental discharges.

    Vessel Discharge

    • The increasing number of vessels on bodies of water is a source of concern, due to the amount of pollution they emit. The EPA reports that there are over 230 cruise ships worldwide, which can easily hold as many as 3,000 crew members and passengers at any given time. The waste from these ships include sewage, water from laundry, showers and dishes, solid waste, and oily water or bilge water from the ship's hull. The waste affects aquatic organisms negatively and, for example, the oily discharge may cause deterioration in several marine and freshwater species that are highly susceptible to oils and petrochemicals.

    Acid Rain

    • The effects of acid rain can be observed in the aquatic environment. Acid rain can fall directly onto aquatic biomes and flow into aquatic environments like lakes, streams and marshes after falling on terrestrial environments. Acid rain increases the pH level of water, making it toxic and intolerable to many species of aquatic creatures, which may lead to a reduction in populations of aquatic organisms like fish and can decimate entire species.

    Construction

    • Urbanization affects aquatic environments by causing a change in landforms that may constitute obstructions in the aquatic ecosystem. For example, the construction of a dam might alter the course of the natural flow of water and lead to a change in the migration pattern of fish.

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